Xabi Alonso has left his role as Real Madrid head coach by mutual agreement after 34 matches in charge, ending his spell just 232 days after taking over. His time at the club included 24 wins, four draws, and six losses. A damaging defeat in December and growing tension with parts of the dressing room weakened the club’s trust in his project. Some players struggled to adapt to his style, and reports say Alonso himself felt the squad was not fully buying into his ideas.
Real Madrid has now appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as the new permanent head coach. Arbeloa was coaching Real Madrid Castilla and has been working within the club’s youth system in recent years. He is a former Real Madrid player who came through the academy and later became a regular first-team member. As a player, he made around 234 appearances for the club, scored six goals, and won major trophies, including La Liga in 2011–12, Champions League titles in 2013–14 and 2015–16, Copa del Rey titles, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Álvaro Arbeloa is set to take charge of his first match quickly, with Real Madrid scheduled to face Albacete in the Copa del Rey.
Analysing Xabi Alonso’s record at Real Madrid
Real Madrid shocked football fans by first confirming that Xabi Alonso had left as head coach and then announcing Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement only minutes later. Alonso’s exit came at a time when Real Madrid was four points behind Barcelona in LaLiga and just hours after losing 3–2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Xabi Alonso managed Real Madrid for 34 matches and won 24 of them. This gives him a win percentage of 70.59 percent. According to Opta data, this is the fourth-best win rate by any coach in the club’s 116-year history. His record puts him level with Robert Firth, who coached the club in the early 1930s. Only a few managers have done better in terms of win percentage, including Manuel Pellegrini, who won 75 percent of his matches; José Mourinho with 71.9 percent; Radomir Antic with 71 percent; and Carlo Ancelotti with 70.8 percent.
Some of the biggest names in Real Madrid history had lower win percentages than Alonso. Miguel Muñoz, who won 14 trophies with the club, did not even reach a 60 percent win rate. Zinedine Zidane’s win percentage was below 70 percent in his first spell and just over 60 percent in his second. On the other end, coaches like Amancio Amaro and Alfredo Di Stefano recorded some of the weakest records despite their legendary status as players.
Real Madrid players react after Xabi Alonso’s departure
Former Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón said the main problem during Alonso’s time was poor planning, especially in midfield. He pointed out that players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić are no longer at the club and were not properly replaced. He said Madrid still has top players like Kylian Mbappé and one of the best goalkeepers, but the midfield remains the weak area.
Many Real Madrid players reacted publicly to Alonso’s departure. Dani Carvajal, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Arda Güler, Dani Ceballos, Dean Huijsen, Gonzalo García, and Kylian Mbappé all posted messages thanking Alonso for his trust and guidance. Several players said they learned a lot from him and wished him success in the future. The news reportedly surprised much of the dressing room, including the appointment of Arbeloa.
Carlo Ancelotti had previously spoken highly of Arbeloa and believed he had the qualities needed to coach Real Madrid. The club also brought back fitness coach Antonio Pintus to work with the first team, a move pushed by president Florentino Pérez to improve physical conditioning.
FAQs
Q. How long was Xabi Alonso in charge of Real Madrid?
A. Xabi Alonso was head coach for 232 days and managed 34 matches.
Q. What was Xabi Alonso’s record as Real Madrid coach?
A. Xabi Alonso won 24 matches, drew 4, and lost 6, with a win rate of 70.59 percent.
Q. Who replaced Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid head coach?
A. Álvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as the new permanent head coach.
Q. When will Arbeloa take charge of his first match?
A. His first match will be against Albacete in the Copa del Rey.
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